18. Why are alternative history novels considered part of science fiction, even if not set in future & featuring no technology?
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Replying to @HeerJeet
19. One explanation is that time-travel (creating new timelines) & parallel worlds are scientific concepts, so alternative history is s.f.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
20. As per Darko Suvin, science fiction involves "cognitive estrangement" based on novum. Alternative history falls into that definition.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
21. More radically, I want to argue modern science fiction and modern historical thinking were born at the same moment, 18th/19th century
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Replying to @HeerJeet
22. Of course there were historical chronicles before 18th century as well as lots of proto-science fiction (Lucien, Donne, Milton, Kepler)
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Replying to @HeerJeet
23. But both historical chronicles & proto-science fiction very different than new thinking that emerged out of French Revolution.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
24. French Revolution forced us to think of history in new way, with new emphasis on ruptures and uncontrollable social forces.
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Replying to @HewsonMartin
@HewsonMartin Maybe, but it would be very different genre, August and neo-classical. More like Swift & less like Shelley & Wells.1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
@HewsonMartin Not clear to me that by themselves 18th & early 19th century technologies gave sense of novum. That required social revolution
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Replying to @HewsonMartin
@HewsonMartin Very common trope from 1930s onwards till 1970s (based on Rohm & SA).0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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